Deep reflection on founders helpful during April

At the national level, April is also a day of huge commemorations, of which only one is directly marked, namely Revolution Day, apart from other religious and public holidays.

There is Sheikh Karume's assassination event on April 7; the death of Edward Moringe Sokoine on April 12 and Mwalimu's unsung birthday on April 13. It is really a week of memories.

For some reason the month is as eventful for the country as it is for at least one major religion, and since Mwalimu was also born during this month, it follows in some 'horoscopic' sense that these national events were tied up with Mwalimu, not as his handiwork, but as his destiny.

It is also evident that psychologically the country has made an effort to choose what it should commemorate, as this also implies drawing some lessons on what we continue observing in that regard, and its importance, or at times its urgency, for the current situation.

Some remarkable days are left out so as to reduce the burden of contemplation, in effect.

But privately or individually it is relevant to continue thinking about those events, not only for April but for other months as well, for instance in January we mark the January 12 events in Zanzibar, but not the January 20 events on the Mainland.

That they were a pair and occurred virtually in tandem goes unnoticed, but at the time they occurred that pairing was grasped, for they were similar in design and thrust, for Africanisation and consolidation of national independence.

Actually, for April there is another day that is not marked, the shock on the Union, removal of Isles President Aboud Jumbe during this month back in 1984, a monument.

Keeping these days in mind is vital for the younger generation, to keep apace with major events in the founding and institutional development of the country, as some of the issues are still with us at present.

Many have since paled as reference points, but ripples travel far and wide, in which case some intractable issues we find difficult to resolve, or to reach a consensus and they don't surface again, are tied up with these events, when those divisions have roots that still linger on.

But we accumulate more experience in governing, some deep antipathies of the past are eclipsed, with stalwarts finding agitation ground thinning.

Part of this effect can be said to mirror the work of the fifth phase government, which came into office when these accumulated traditions and antipathies were driving the nation in different directions, in a centrifugal manner.

The basic precepts of national unity were being put to question, for instance the role of the Head of State in fashioning the path and consequently destiny of the country, in favor of an experiment in liberty in which the only positive thing being held up with liberty.

No study or political reflection of a general kind had shown how a weaker presidency would be good for national unity and for development activity.

On the contrary, it was clear it would create disunity, legitimise affinities working to wreck unity so that the corrupt designs of a few - too often being bosom friends of religious institutions - would go untouched, unfettered.